1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and a communication apparatus, which are connectable to other apparatuses via a communication line, an apparatus setting method, a program for implementing the method, and a storage medium storing the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, mode setting related to functions and operations of an apparatus is performed by an operator inputting via a user interface provided in the apparatus. Here, as examples of the mode, there are modes in which a facsimile destination, an e-mail destination, or the like is set. Once such mode setting is performed, when transmitting an image to the same destination next time, the user can save the trouble of setting the same destination by calling up the set mode.
However, in an office environment in which a plurality of apparatuses exist on a local area network (LAN), even if mode setting is performed in one of the plurality of apparatuses, this mode setting is not reflected in the other apparatuses so that userfriendliness differs with each apparatus. To provide the same level of userfriendliness for all the apparatuses, mode setting must be performed in all the apparatuses, which requires a time-consuming operation.
Therefore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-337797, there has been proposed a technique in which, in apparatuses like computer terminals connected to each other via a communication line like LAN, one of the apparatuses generates apparatus setting information related to setting of a user mode (information for performing setting related to functions and operations of another apparatus to be set, which is transmitted from the apparatus connected via the communication line) in response to an operation by an operator, and send the generated apparatus setting information to the other apparatus to be set via the communication line, and then the other apparatus to be set receives the transmitted apparatus setting information and registers the same in a memory of the apparatus to be set. With this technique, the operator can perform mode setting easily by selecting one of user modes registered in the apparatus if necessary.
However, in the above-mentioned prior art, to update the apparatus setting information, new apparatus setting information has to be transmitted to each apparatus, and at the time of operating each apparatus, the new apparatus setting information has to be registered, thus requiring a complicated operation.